Ghulat

1 standalone book

The ghulāt were a branch of early Shi'a Islam, consisting of extinct Shi'i sects active in 8th- and 9th-century Kufa. They shared common ideas such as attributing a divine nature to the Imams, metempsychosis, and a gnostic creation myth involving pre-existent 'shadows.' They were considered a minority religious group within Shi'a Islam and were named ghulat for their perceived exaggerated veneration of Muhammad and his family.